Napanee Farms

Today I got the opportunity to take some shots of Jason out at Choctaw cutting beans for his operation Napanee Farms. Well, actually, I rode out their to pick up the prawns he got from somebody so I could put them on more ice and take to Sue Sue (his mom) for her to fix for supper! At Choctaw, he and his partner/best friend Bryan, have about 2300 acres of soybeans. I think they still like about 1500 to cut. The elevator lines are so long (like 100 trucks waiting...) that they can't get alot cut and in hoppers and have a truck to dump in. And to make things worse, the elevator is shutting down tomorrow. It was so dry and dusty to have been so soaking wet and under water just a couple of weeks ago. I only rode a couple of loops (cause riding a combine is pretty monotonous and boring) and then I headed back to the house. And after I write this blog I'm going to take myself a much needed afternoon NAP!!!!

Irresistable

Would you just look at this precious little dog! This morning Mark, Brandon and I rode out to a local chicken farm on official business and this little dog was there. The farmer told us someone just dumped her out there. Well, she took a liking to me. I opened the truck door to get in and jokingly told her to "come on" and she jumped right on up in there!! She stayed by my side the whole time we were there. Well, needless to say, they convinced me this was a good dog, and would love to go home with me and I agreed. Of course I only agreed because Brandon said in the event I couldn't that he would. I called her Skeeter at first. We got on down the road and the discussion of her being a good farm dog came up and that I should take her to Jason in Mississippi. Now his mother assured me Jason loves dogs and has always had a pet dog in the past until now. So, I called him up and told him I would bring this little jewel to him! He didn't seem overly excited at that. The more and more I play with her and pet her, the more attached I get.....but reality kicks in and I know that I can't take a dog to my house and leave the poor thing pinned up or tied up all day while we're at work. So, alas, I decided to let Brandon go ahead and take her home with him to live out in the country. I did give her a KFC chicken thigh and a cool whip bowl of water while here. Anyway, she's sorta been named the USDA mascot up here. Goodbye Skeeter.....happy living with the Satterlee's....and hope you don't meet the fate that most of his outside dogs have met!!!! (that would be meeting the rubber under a tire!)

Drew County Fair

Last night was armband night at the Drew County Fair so I took Caitlin, Brooklynn and Spencer and met Roxie and Ryan out there. The parking was awful...not because it was crowded but because it was MUDDY!!! People were getting stuck left and right. Thankfully we didn't get stuck. The kids bailed out and Spencer took off to go with his friends, so that left Brooklynn, Caitlin and Ryan to ride the rides together. The girls rode the Tilt-O-Whirl, Sizzler, Swings, 1001 Nachts (wait til you see that photo below....can't believe Caitlin rode it!!!!), the Merry Go Round, Nascar Race Cars, did the big slide and little slide. I even let them waste $10 on a couple of games. Trying to throw ping pong balls into bowls floating in a baby pool of water...to win a RABBIT!!! I was praying that one of them didn't get lucky and make it. I sure didn't want to haul a rabbit home. Anyway, by 8:00 p.m. my feet were hurting, the girls had a caramel apple everywhere and were still begging to ride more. I said Hell to tha naw! We got Spencer at 8:30 p.m. and hauled our tired butts home!!!

Guess who is up there on that????? WAAAAY UP THERE????????

Yep, these 2 little heathens!!!

Drew Co. Fair Parade Day

Today was the fair parade. Me and Caitlin, Spencer and Brooklynn all walked up to the square from my office to watch. I got a shot of the girls as we were heading back down the hill to the truck and had a perfect opportunity to snap one. I thought it was so cute of them holding hands walking together. It was so hot in the blaring sun. I was sweating, Caitlin was whining (what's new huh?) and Brooklynn was right up in the middle of everything, as usual. The girls were really mad that nobody threw any candy their way though. But, all in all it was a decent parade. Looks like we'll be going to the fair for armband night tomorrow night! YIPPEE!! Not.......

My Favorite Time of Year

Cotton harvest is my favorite time of year. Don't ask me why...it just is. It's in my blood. My grandfathers on both sides and my dad are/were cotton farmers. I love being out in the middle of all the cotton picking and harvesting and module building and everything. I love to see all the fields of white and feel the cooler air in the fall and smell the picked cotton. Yes.....it has a smell. Some must think I'm crazy. I got to take these photos of Jason's dad David Aka Pop-Pop picking their first field of cotton this afternoon. Caitlin rode the picker with Pop-Pop while Jason, Spencer and I watched on the turn row.

Birthday Bash

Saturday I loaded up Caitlin, Anna and Mary Cecil and headed back to Arkansas to pick up Brooklynn to go to Bayli Boney's birthday party. Her 8th birthday...time flies. Well anyway, she's all about cowgirl and horse stuff so John's son brought his horse Yeller down to the party and gave all the little ones a ride around the yard a time or two. They had a ball. Except for all the mosquitos!!! They tore us up! But it was a pretty day and the kids had fun. I felt like I was driving a school bus with 4 girls in there! Here's a few pics from the party.


Bayli Blair Boney-Birthday Girl!


Dakota Eyeman...is he not the cutest!!!!!

Entertainment on a Friday

This has been yet another slooooow Friday around USDA. I can only recount one customer all day, and it's nearly 3pm!!! I've read all the news I can stand. I've cleaned out my desk and rearranged files. I've actually filed a bunch of papers that have been stacking up for weeks now. Then, all of a sudden, we get some live entertainment here! Sandy's little granddaughter got to spend some time with us up here while her mom shopped for diapers. (better her than me I say!) I always love it when her grandkids get to come up here for a visit. They're so cute and sweet! Chandler is 5, Emersyn is nearly 2, Asher is probably 7 months, and the newest addition, Lilly, is now 2 1/2 months old. I love to hold 'em and play with them, and then when they start to cry give them back to their "nanny" or moma!! HAHA! Well Lilly got to visit today. And boy did she give us a show. No sooner than her moma pulled out of the driveway did she set up a howl and cry. Poor little thing....I tried to entertain her with my wild designed shirt, but that only lasted a minute. I even promised her I would dance a jig for her if she would get happy again.....but that didn't work either. Think her tummy must have been upset. Well, maybe not. Cause soon as her moma got her she quieted right down. Imagine that..... Oh and these shots were taken right when her mommy brought her in while she was still happy!